Not applicable.
Not applicable.
This present invention relates to an improvement in knock-down, collapsible, foldable boxes, and more particularly to shoe boxes for easy storage and shipment, both in the knock-down or assembled state while transporting shoes and, when set up and configured for use, are stackable upon one another and have a removable drawer-like container which, when removed, permits easy retrieval of the shoes within, especially in a shoe store, without adversely affecting the remainder of the stack. It must be understood that, though this invention was prompted by a need for better shoe boxes adapted to storage (in both shoe manufacturing and in retail stores), retrieval, and return, it is capable of being used for any product storage and is not limited to shoes and shoe boxes.
Currently shoes are shipped from manufacturer or distributor to a retailer in a pre-formed, generally pasted, shoe box. The typical box has a bottom part and a top part. The bottom part has a base or bottom with four upstanding walls which form a container. The top part is the cover which has an upper base with four downwardly extending walls which snugly fit around the four upstanding walls to cover the opening of the bottom part. Typically the four downwardly extending walls are considerably shorter in length than are the four upstanding walls. This box thus is a pasted-up open-top box closed by a removable lid adapted to fit snugly around the outside of the open-top of the box.
It is customary in shoe stores to stack such boxes on top of one another and to have numerous such stacks or columns abutting one another. In such stacking configurations, the stacks can be extremely high consisting of many boxes stacked upon one another. Stacking and columning are generally done in some organized fashion by style and size for example. Shoe boxes such as these generally have information about the shoe style, size, and color which is printed on one or more of their upstanding walls. When a shoe salesperson, for instance, needs a pair of shoes which are in a box on top of the stack, there is no problem in merely taking that box out to the showroom and returning it to the same location without disrupting the organization of the stacks. When a desired shoe is in a box or boxes below the top of a stack, in the middle, or at or near the bottom, pulling the box from the stack is more difficult. Box tops and bottoms can get damaged.
For organizational purposes, it is best that the space created by the removed box remain unfilled so that, if a sale is not consummated, the box may be returned to its proper organizational location. This is not what usually occurs however. Once a box is removed from the stack, the boxes in that stack above the removed box simply fall into the space created by the removed box. Given the configuration of the box and lid, the descent generally is not smooth and orderly thereby creating an unsightly, scattered, appearance and unsettling the organization of the stacks.
The present invention eliminates the bulk associated with shipping the pre-formed pasted boxes to the shoe manufacturer, for example, and eliminates the problems associated with removing boxes from their stacks in the retail shoe store. In addition, the present invention, with its sleeve, slidable and removable container, permits re-use of the container and placement of the container into its original or any vacant sleeve.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are to:
a. provide boxes which are easy to manufacture and less bulky to ship to the shoe manufacturer, to the retailer, and to an end-user;
b. provide boxes for products which are stackable and maintain their stack integrity after the container portion of a box is removed from the stack;
c. provide boxes for products which facilitate retrieval of the product therefrom and return thereto;
d. provide boxes for products which are not limited to a single product size and style but which are relatively fungible and re-usable; and
e. provide product boxes which facilitate reorganization of a retailer""s product inventory.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or by modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The above-noted problems, among others, are overcome by the present invention. Briefly stated, the present invention contemplates a knock-down, foldable, collapsible, stackable box assembly which has a sleeve and a removable container insertable into and out of the sleeve. The container and sleeve are formed of folding blanks which, when folded and assembled, create a sturdy, slidable drawer-like box assembly with the inner container being the removable drawer. The front of the container has a compressible handle-like mechanism which, when one or more box assemblies are shipped together, especially in large shipping containers, compresses without damage to its structure or function. When not in use by the retail purchaser or end-user, the sleeve may be unfolded and collapsed flat and the container may be unfolded and unassembled into a flat blank. When needed, each is easily re-folded, re-assembled into useable box, drawer-like structures. Any suitable materials may be used for the box assembly but a cardboard or cardboard-like materials are best.
The foregoing has outlined the more pertinent and important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood so the present contributions to the art may be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the present invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the disclosed specific embodiment may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures and methods for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It also should be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions and methods do not depart from the spirit and scope of the inventions as set forth in the appended claims.